Alleged N2.4bn Fraud: Ex-PPMC Boss, Wife Move To Retrieve Seized Assets

Former Managing Director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Haruna Momoh, his wife, Ochuko Okor Momoh, and their companies have commenced move to retrieve assets and cash seized from them by the Federal Government.
The Federal Government, acting through the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offices Commission (ICPC), on October 25, 2019, obtained an ex-parte order of interim forfeiture against Momoh, his wife and their two companies, from Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo, Abuja.
ICPC claimed among others that the move was part of its efforts to recover about N2,417,037,404b and landed properties, which the Momohs allegedly acquired unlawfully.
The commission claimed that the money includes foreign and local currencies, stashed in multiple accounts in four different banks as well as five landed properties located in different parts of Abuja metropolis.
Momoh, his wife and their companies – Multi Trade Limited and Blaid Construction Ltd returned to the court, last Thursday, to argue their application, with which they have challenged the interim forfeiture order.
Their lawyer, Ade Adedeji (SAN), who argued the application, prayed the court to set aside the interim order made on October 25, 2019, “which temporary forfeited all the various sums in the banks listed in the order.”
Adedeji accused the ICPC of misleading the court and obtaining the forfeiture order through fraud, by allegedly withholding necessary facts from the court.
“Where it is clear that the order obtained ex-parte was obtained without full disclosure and by misrepresentation of facts, the other party has a right to challenge such an order,” he said.